Vaccine hesitancy can be linked to a lack of perceived necessity1,2
Dealing with diminished prioritization
Have you encountered parents who question the value of certain vaccines for their children, their community, or themselves?
Health care providers may often encounter parents who refuse vaccinations for their children because they feel vaccines are no longer necessary.1,2
The approaches in the following scenarios may help you explain how vaccines help protect against disease.3
What hesitancy sounds like…
“Why does my child need this vaccine? It’s not required by our school.”
Parent:
“Why does my child need this vaccine? It’s not required by our school.”
HCP:
“Vaccination laws for schools are established by individual states, so they may look different from what are recommended.4-6 Is there a particular concern I can help clarify?”
Parent:
“I just don’t want to give my child something that isn’t necessary.”
HCP:
“I can understand why you feel that way. Even though our state isn’t requiring this vaccine for school, it can help protect your child from the risks of this disease.”
You may also be hearing…
“The disease that vaccine deals with isn’t relevant to my child in this community.”
Parent:
“The disease that vaccine deals with isn’t relevant to my child in this community.”
HCP:
Unfortunately, certain vaccine-preventable childhood diseases that we thought had been a thing of the past are starting to come back. And areas with lower vaccination rates are especially at risk of outbreaks.7-9
We want to make sure your child is vaccinated before they’re exposed.”
“I didn’t know he needed 3 shots today. That seems like a lot!”
Parent:
“I didn’t know he needed 3 shots today. That seems like a lot!”
HCP:
“I’m sorry we didn’t talk about this more during our last visit. What worries you about vaccinating today?”
Parent:
“Well, they don’t all seem necessary to me. I didn’t get some of these vaccines and I was fine.”
HCP:
“I see why you would think that. But vaccines are an important part of helping to protect our children from certain preventable infectious diseases.10
We’re lucky. Unlike our parents, we don’t have to stay up at night worrying about diseases like polio.10,11 That’s because the majority of kids are vaccinated.12
Vaccines do often cause mild side effects that go away quickly on their own and yes, serious side effects can occur… but they are rare.13
When a vaccine is delayed, children are vulnerable to certain diseases that they may encounter.14
There are no data to show that spacing out vaccines is safer or more effective than following the recommendations.”14
Explore other scenarios and strategies for overcoming vaccine hesitancy.
Safety concerns/general mistrust:
“How do I know vaccines are safe?”
Lack of information:
“How do I know which vaccines I need/my child needs?”
All scenarios:
Download a comprehensive PDF
References
- Goje O, Kapoor A. Meeting the challenge of vaccine hesitancy. Cleve Clin J Med. 2024;91(9 suppl 1):S50-S56. doi:10.3949/ccjm.91.s1.08
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions parents may ask about vaccines. Published August 9, 2024. Accessed January 15, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/hcp/conversation-tips/questions-parents-may-ask.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Talking with parents about vaccines. Published August 9, 2024. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/hcp/conversation-tips/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States, 2025. Revised October 7, 2025. Accessed October 9, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Recommended child and adolescent immunization schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States 2025. Updated September 17, 2025. Accessed October 6, 2025. https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP-Immunization-Schedule.pdf
- Immunize.org. Hepatitis A vaccine requirements for childcare and school (K-12). Updated July 3, 2025. Accessed August 11, 2025. https://www.immunize.org/official-guidance/state-policies/vaccine-requirements/hepa-child-school-2025/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles cases and outbreaks. Published November 5, 2025. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis A outbreak linked to person-to-person contact. Published April 30, 2024. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-a/outbreaks/person-to-person/index.html
- Havers FP, Moro PL, Hariri S, Skoff T. Pertussis. In: Hall E, Wodi AP, Hamborsky J, Morelli V, Schillie S, eds. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (Pink Book). 14th ed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2021: Chapter 16. Reviewed April 12, 2024. Accessed January 17, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-16-pertussis.html
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Five important reasons to vaccinate your child. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed May 30, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/get-vaccinated/for-parents/five-reasons/index.html
- Talbird SE, Carrico J, La EM, et al. Impact of routine childhood immunization in reducing vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. Pediatrics. 2022;150(3):e2021056013. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-056013
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Immunization. Reviewed September 15, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Vaccine side effects. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed June 16, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/immunization/basics/safety/side-effects/index.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reasons to follow CDC’s recommended immunization schedule. Published August 9, 2024. Accessed September 10, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/schedules/reasons-to-follow.html